World's workers express May Day anger, gloom

by Daniel Woolls - May. 1, 2012 10:41 PMAssociated Press

MADRID, Spain - On the front lines of the world's May Day protests this year, along with the traditional chants, banners and marches, a gamut of emotions flowed through the crowds: Anger. Fear. Elation. Despair.

With Europe's unemployed denouncing austerity measures, Asia's laborers demanding higher salaries and U.S. protesters condemning Wall Street, Tuesday's demonstrations by hundreds of thousands were less a celebration of workers rights than a furious venting over spending cuts, tax hikes and soaring unemployment.

The protests came just days ahead of key elections in Greece and France, whose leaders have acutely felt popular anger over policies many feel are strangling any hopes of economic recovery. The rallies reflected deep pessimism in Spain, dealing with a fragile economy that is in the crosshairs of the European debt crisis.

Yet optimism and national pride emerged, too. More than 100,000 turned out in Russia for May Day rallies that celebrated Vladimir Putin's government. Tens of thousands of workers rallied with joy in France, hoping this will be the last week of President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative leadership.

In the U.S., protesters lined up at major financial institutions in the country's most high-profile Occupy Wall Street rallies since the encampments protesting the gap between the super rich and poor came down in the fall.

Under a gray Madrid sky that reflected the dark national mood, 25-year-old Adriana Jaime turned out to march. Jaime speaks three languages and has a master's degree as a translator but works for what she derided as peanuts in a university research project that has been cut from three years to three months because of a lack of funds.

"I am here because there is no future for the young people of this country," Jaime said as many marchers carried black-and-white placards bearing the word "No" and a pair of red scissors.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is trying desperately to cut a bloated deficit, restore investor confidence in Spain's public finances, lower its 24.4 percent jobless rate and fend off fears the country will soon need a bailout like Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

In France, tens of thousands of workers, leftists and union leaders marked May Day with glee, hoping that a presidential runoff vote Sunday will put a Socialist, Francois Hollande, at the helm for the first time since 1988.

Many voters fear Sarkozy will erode France's welfare and worker protections and see him as too friendly with the rich.

"Sarkozy has allowed himself for too long to manhandle the lower classes," said Dante Leonardi, a 24-year-old in Paris. "Today, we must show ... that we want him to leave."

Hollande has promised high taxes on the rich.

After a workers-day march in Santiago, Chile, some protesters threw objects at closed businesses, breaking the windows of several banks and pulling out furniture to build a bonfire in the street.

Police responded with tear gas and water cannons and arrested an undetermined number of people.

Earlier, thousands of workers protested in the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and other Asian nations, demanding wage hikes. They said their take-home pay could not keep up with the rising cost of food and energy.